


Book Commentary: The Book of Three

by mlmcg12



Series: Book Blog Transcripts [39]
Category: Chronicles of Prydain - Lloyd Alexander
Genre: Cross-Posted on WordPress, Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:47:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28962669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mlmcg12/pseuds/mlmcg12
Series: Book Blog Transcripts [39]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2123052





	1. The Assistant Pig-Keeper

  * Taran’s impatience is getting him in trouble already. Fun.
  * No, but really, he’s lucky that a) he didn’t burn himself with the hot metal, or b) he didn’t poke out anyone’s eye with the messed-up sword or the fire poker “sword.”
  * Although I think the Disney movie that was a mix of this and _The Black Cauldron_ was seriously underrated, I’m still kinda mad about the Coll-Dallben hybrid (who I’ve recently dubbed “Collben”).
  * Ah, yes, Dallben’s usual parent going “how the hell did my kid get so old already” thing. Even though he and Coll adopted Taran. ~~OK, time to stop shipping Collben before I even start. Because it’s a weird ship because Massive Age Difference.~~
  * Ah, yes… who is this Horned King dude? 
    * No, but I love how John Hurt voiced the Horned King in the Disney movie as well as Aragorn in one of the animated LOTR movies in the ’70s, since they’re such polar opposites, character-wise…
  * Arawn didn’t take over Prydain… Oh, the series foreshadowing…
  * No, but this whole info dump about the villains here makes me wonder why the hell James A. Owen borrowed some elements for the _Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica_ and occasionally name-dropped Prydain itself, but (unless I’m remembering wrong) never officially mentioned how the hell Lloyd Alexander was related to the Archipelago other than a few brief-but-vague blips in some of the author’s notes. 
    * (Even though it’s the sequel, but I’m bringing this up here: I know I mentioned the Black Cauldron itself in my _Here, There Be Dragons_ reviews already, but I’m also getting Winter King vibes from the Horned King with what little backstory we do get about him. Or Horned King vibes from the Winter King? Especially in the Disney version where the Horned King is the only villain.)
  * They keep bringing up Gwydion, and I’M STILL PISSED THAT DISNEY GOT RID OF HIM, TOO.
  * OK, Dallben, if you keep convincing Taran he’s an idiot who can’t do anything right, you’re going to seriously crush his self-esteem to the point that your insults become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
  * Sure, Hen Wen’s a Very Important Oracular Pig, but is “Assistant Pig-Keeper” really much of a promotion from “Generic Farm Boy”?
  * Ah, yes. Another moment of “animals getting the hell out of the way when Something Bad’s Happening.” 
    * Hen Wen freaking out and running away is an especially Big Mood.




	2. The Mask of the King

  * So, Taran got lost in the woods while trying to track Hen Wen. Because of course Hen Wen has a better sense of direction.
  * Of course Taran conveniently stumbles across the Horned King.
  * I know the Horned King is supposed to look creepy with his human-skull-with-deer-horns-head, but if somehow it works out that Disney does put their movie series rights renewal to use in making this book be the next live-action remake, I’ll probably not be fazed by that after watching the _Butcher’s Block_ season of _Channel Zero_ and seeing the Pestilent God. (OK, technically the Pestilent God’s head was a straight-up deer skull, but close enough?)
  * And apparently Taran just wore himself out and passed out after running away because he almost got caught.
  * I love how Taran’s reaction to being saved by Gwydion basically goes from “Bullshit, you’re not Gwydion; you’re old as balls” to



  * And then Gwydion’s just like “You know you don’t have to look super young and fancy to look like royalty?”
  * I also love how Gwydion’s reaction to being told the Horned King is in the area and that Hen Wen’s trying to run away from him is just “That sounds fake, but OK. Also, what a coincidence, I’m looking for Hen Wen, too. But at Caer Dallben.”
  * “No, Taran! Let’s not get all stabby at the Horned King immediately during our search for Hen Wen. We gotta do this carefully so that we don’t, y’know, die and stuff.”
  * So, apparently the Horned King is Definitely Arawn’s Lackey and they’re trying to take over Prydain.
  * “I’m going to take on the Horned King to help save Prydain, and one of us is gonna die. And it ain’t gonna be me.” “I’m coming with you because I’m in charge of Hen Wen.” “Kid, you’re just some nobody who’s about to get in the way. GTFO.” “LOL, no.” “OK, fine.”
  * And apparently Taran’s an orphan.



**Author's Note:**

> See also https://mmcgui12sbookblog.home.blog/


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